TLMI welcomed a strong turnout of dedicated members volunteering their time during the association’s annual Committee Summit. The event, which took place in Clearwater Beach, FL, USA, from December 4-5, 2024, addressed the latest trends and challenges across TLMI’s wide ranging group of committees.

Suppliers and converters alike arrived in Florida to map out future goals for its committees, including Membership, Technical, Workforce Development, Regulatory Affairs (RAC), and sustainability, which has been segmented into three critical areas – Matrix Recovery, Liner, and Sustainable Resources.

Much of the agenda that takes place over the course of 2025 will stem from the efforts of the committees during this event.

“Looking out here today, this is why we want to be part of TLMI,” stated Nye Hornor, president, Amherst Label, an Inovar Group Co., and co-chair of the Membership Committee. “We see all these people dedicating their time to this industry and it’s amazing to see. We’re always looking for new members to help make our industry stronger.”

“This is where we set the course for the next year,” added Patrick Potter, president, Flexo Wash, and co-chair of RAC.

Sustainability and workforce were two key trends that were significantly addressed at the Committee Summit. According to Marco Acevedo, regional sales manager, Precision AirConvey, an estimated 927,000 tons of matrix waste goes into landfill every year. Finding recycling solutions is imperative for the industry moving forward, which is why the Sustainability Committee has branched into three key areas. Sustainability and recycling will be tackled from multiple corners.

“We want to educate people and provide resources for converters to avoid sending their waste into the landfill,” said Acevedo. “With the help of TLMI, we’re also sending out a survey to TLMI members to learn about their difficulties and pain points. We’re using that information to create discussions that will be presented throughout TLMI events. We’re looking to help the environment and help your companies be more sustainable.”

“The impetus for our committee was to clarify sustainability topics for our membership and help them along their journey,” commented Katie Austing, VP of Customer Experience & Sustainability, KDV Label, and co-chair of the Sustainable Resource Committee. “We want to see where companies are going and how we can help them. We provide tools so membership is more informed on sustainability matters to move their organizations forward for their customers.”

Meanwhile, the Workforce Committee emphasized retention during its session. While scholarships and attracting new employees to the industry are still critical for the committee, the group highlighted Career Pathways and showing how employees can go from entry level positions to senior management.

“The goal is to attract new employees to our industry, and once they’re here we want to keep them here,” explained Nick Spina, vice president of Strategic Accounts at PLPS, and co-chair of the Workforce Development Committee. “Last year we completely revamped our scholarship program, whether it’s taking MBA or CPA courses to help with their training and retention. Our goal is to build and improve upon these programs and see where TLMI can be of assistance in promoting this industry that we know and love.”

“If we want people to stay at companies for more than one or two years, we have to show them where they’re going,” stated Catherine Haynes, VP of growth and development, All Printing Resources.

In order to drive retention, the committee laid out several goals for the upcoming year – focusing on training at entry level positions, along with training the trainer to ensure new employees receive the proper attention upon taking new roles. Interpersonal skills are also prioritized with new positions.

“We need to broaden our reach or else we’re not going to have a workforce,” remarked Bettylyn Krafft, Board chair, Phoenix Challenge. “We need to start with middle schools and whet their appetite earlier. We also need to keep people engaged with their jobs and work with management on retainment to keep people in their roles.”

The Committee Summit also provided an opportunity for TLMI to look ahead at a busy calendar for 2025. TLMI’s live printTHINK event will return, co-located with Amplify, from June 10-12 in Rosemont, IL. Plus, dates have been set for the upcoming Converter Meeting, Annual Meeting, and 2025 Committee Summit. Plus, TLMI is seeking candidates to host this year’s edition of the LLT Excursion – Label Leaders of Tomorrow.

“We will have our third annual LLT Excursion, with the place to be determined,” noted Linnea Keen, president, TLMI. “We have already had two successful events, which started out as a concept, and it’s worked really well to have suppliers host the event. Through that, it’s a great opportunity to have 50 up-and-comers at your facility to engage with them and promote the industry. We’ll be selecting that location shortly.”